Game apparatus with tethered ball movable on helical member



G. s. KFOURY 3,107,094

GAME APPARATUS WITH TETHERED BALL MOVABLE ON HELICAL MEMBER Oct. 15, 1963 Filed Sept. 6, 1961 United States Patent 3,107,094 GAME APPARATUS WITH TETl-ERED BALL MDVABLE ON EELICAL IVEMBER Georgette Selim Kfoury, London, England, assignor to Nasco American incorporated, Philadelphia, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 136,236 3 Claims. (Cl. 27395) This invention relates to apparatus for playing a ball game. The ball game, for which this apparatus is particularly designed, is played by two or more players who strike a tethered ball with a bat, similar to but substantially larger than a table-tennis bat.

Further features of the game will appear from the following description of one embodiment of apparatus in accordance with the invention which will now be particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

As shown in the drawing, the apparatus comprises a post of wood, metal or synthetic resin plastic which is driven into the ground i.e. a lawn or beach, up to a foot plate 11 leaving about 4 feet of the post upstanding from the ground. The foot plate is substantially annular as shown and is pivoted at 12 to the post so that it can be tilted to lie at a small angle to the post for storage purposes. Alternatively the foot plate can comprise two or more projections or wings fixed to or hinged to the post.

The post is hollow at least at its upper end, and slidable telescopically therein is a rod 13 whose upper end protects beyond the upper end of the post. The rod is secured with any desired length thereof projecting from the post by means of a wing screw 14 which extends through a ferrule 15 at the upper end of the post into engagement with the rod.

Connected at the upper end of the rod to extend upwards therefrom is a helical member 16 located with its axis colinear with that of the rod. The helical member terminates at its upper end in a removable stop 17 e.g. of rubber, and at its lower end in an internally screwthreaded sleeve 18 which lies on the axis of the helix and engages a screw 19 on the upper end of the rod. The screw-threaded sleeve and screw form a coupling permitting the helical member to be removed for storage.

The turns of the helical member are well spaced apart, and slidable thereon is a ring 20 to which one end of a cord 21 is secured, the other end of the cord being secured to a tennis or similar ball 22. The cord is of nylon or other suitably strong material and conveniently about six feet in length.

The upper part of the length of the helical member is marked in one distinctive manner (e.g. painted red) and the lower part in another distinctive manner (e.g. painted black) whilst a short intermediate length is marked in a third distinctive manner (e.g. chromium plated).

When the apparatus is set up and the height above the ground of the helical member adjusted to suit the height of the players, the ring is moved to the intermediate portion of the helix. The game can then be commenced and the object of each player or team is to strike the ball with the bat to drive it around the post in one direction thereby causing the ring to ride up (or down) the helix, the other player or team endeavouring to drive the ball in the opposite direction to cause the ball to ride down (or up) the helix. The motion of the ring on the helix operates to indicate the difference between the number of times "ice the ball has passed around the post in one direction and the number of the times the ball has passed around the post in the opposite direction. A point is scored by the player or team, who succeeds in causing the ring to reach the respective end of the helix.

The helical member is preferably made of strong spring wire and of such a gauge as will absorb shock without bending unduly when the ball is struck, this being of particular importance if the cord is relatively inelastic. If a cord of substantial elasticity is used, the helical member can be rigid.

I claim:

1. Ball game apparatus comprising a vertical post, a tubular part on said post, a rod slidable telescopically in said tubular part, said rod having one end thereof extending out of said tubular part, a resilient wire helical mem ber, 21 screw-threaded sleeve on said helical member, a screw on the upper end of said rod, said sleeve and said screw cooperating to releasably secure said helical member to said end of the rod, a ring slidable on said helical member, a resilient ball, a flexible cord interconnecting said ball and said ring, a removable rubber stop frictionally engaging the upper end of said helical member to limit the distance moved by said ring along the helical member, a foot plate and means mounting said foot plate on said post.

2. Ball game apparatus comprising in combination an upright post, a tubular part on said post, an annular footplate surrounding and secured to said tubular part at a position spaced from its lower end, a rod slidable telescopically in said tubular part, a rigid wire helical member, a screw-threaded sleeve on said helical member, a screw on the upper end of said rod, said sleeve mating with said screw for releasably securing said helical member to said rod, a ring slidable along said helical member, a ball, an elastic cord connecting said ball to said ring and a stop releasably engaging the upper end of said helical member to limit the distance which the ring can slide along said helical member.

3. Apparatus for playing a ball game comprising in combination an upright post, said post comprising an external tubular member, an annular footplate on said tubular member spaced from its lower end, a rod slidable telescopically within said tubular member and a locking screw extending through said tubular member into engagement with said rod; a screw on the upper end of said rod, a resilient helical member made of strong wire, an internally screw-threaded sleeve on the lower end of said helical member, said sleeve mating with said screw for releasably securing said helical member on the upper end of said rod, a ring slidable along said helical member, a ball, a cord interconnecting said ring and said ball and a removable rubber stop frictionally engaging the upper end of said helical member for limiting the distance moved by said ring along the helical member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 786,997 Rosenthal Apr. 11, 1905 1,608,849 Gilmour NOV. 30, 1926. 2,080,653 Craft May 18, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 499,210 Belgium Mar. 1, -1

1,012,856 France Apr. 23, 1952 

1. BALL GAME APPARATUS COMPRISING A VERTICAL POST, A TUBULAR PART ON SAID POST, A ROD SLIDABLE TELESCOPICALLY IN SAID TUBULAR PART, SAID ROD HAVING ONE END THEREOF EXTENDING OUT OF SAID TUBULAR PART, A RESILIENT WIRE HELICAL MEMBER, A SCREW-THREADED SLEEVE ON SAID HELICAL MEMBER, A SCREW ON THE UPPER END OF SAID ROD, SAID SLEEVE AND SAID SCREW COOPERATING TO RELEASABLY SECURE SAID HELICAL MEMBER TO SAID END OF THE ROD, A RING SLIDABLE ON SAID HELICAL MEMBER, A RESILIENT BALL, A FLEXIBLE CORD INTERCONNECTING SAID BALL AND SAID RING, A REMOVABLE RUBBER STOP FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING THE UPPER END OF SAID HELICAL MEMBER TO LIMIT THE DISTANCE MOVED BY SAID RING ALONG THE HELICAL MEMBER, A FOOT PLATE AND MEANS MOUNTING SAID FOOT PLATE ON SAID POST. 